Massive problems with a 1.5 year old Boston

[Jezzy]

Hey everyone!

This is my very very last resort.

We have a 1.5 year old female Boston Terrier. Not fixed

We also have a 2 year old pug but she isn't the problem

Anyway. we got the boston when she was an 9 week old puppy. She isn't our first Boston btw. We got her from a breeder with a good name. We wen't to puppy school and she started acting strange. We stuck it out there at the dog school even though she didn't do anything. Eventually when she was like a year the trainer (excellent) said he has NEVER encountered such a dog. She wouldn't do anything. She would plop down and NOT move during the whole session. This is the first time that the trainer has said "sorry I can't help you"

Well at home she barks all the time. She charges the fence when someone walks by. She has bit 3 of my friends one even had bruises for a week. Yesterday we had some friends stop by. We were talking in the driveway and the Boston ran up and bit the daughter a 9 year old girl in the hand. She didn't break the skin but it did hurt and leave marks.

The poor pug gets her but kicked all the time by her. Well, yesterday we were at a park playing with the dogs and our dd. The boston attacked the pug again and my dh went to pull them apart. There were to many people around to just let them at it. My husband was bit. The bite went though his finger completely.

I have had it and want to get rid of her. I actually want her put down because I don't want to take any responsity if the dog bites someone else at the new home. But my husband can't get rid of.

I grew up with dogs, have even had "problem" dogs but have never ever seen a dog like this.

I am so afraid that my dd. will get inbetween the fighting dogs and will get hurt. I have no idea how I can get my husband to agree to get rid of her before something happens again. It can't go on like this

Any suggestions for me? I am soooo frustrated.

[greenmagick]

Get a behaviorist involved asap...get an eval. Since this isnt really new this may not turn anything up, but have you already had her thyroid tested? This is NOT a dog to rehome. A reputable breeder will either want her back or if she really has serious issues as it sounds, the kindest thing may be PTS.

[Jezzy]

A behaviorist is part of the team at the Trainers place. They have been here and are both at a loss. I have trouble explaining the her too.

We have had her tested. The only thing we haven't had her tested for is a brain tumor. That is I guess the next step. We had at her at many vets and not one could help us.

I just can't take another day with her. I am afraid of what she could do.

In our contract the breeder stated that she would take her back if any problems came up. I have contacted her and she thinks the problem was that we have 2 dogs. I don't believe that. I have always had multiple dogs and have never had a problem. She was looking for the fault in us I guess and not in her dog.

I can't get my husband to just take her back to Switzerland. He feels guilty, he ran over our other Boston and killed her. He sees our Kiedis in our Flea. Which she is definatly NOT!

I would understand her behavior if she wasn't raised wrong, we have done everything. Puppy school, we tried to see if she would like agility, and dog dancing. She wouldn't do anything. She would plop down and not move an inch while we were there. She would literally rather be dragged across the fields then go over any kind of hurdle.

I am so tired of racking my brain over what went wrong with her. And I am desperate for dh to see that we can't do anything else. She is just crazy... She doesn't even feel good in her own skin. She often pees on the floor and is scared of nothing.

We live in the country. she was taken on walks daily, she has a huge yard where she just destroys everything btw.

Thanks for listening to me. I am soooo frustrated. and afraid that our dd is the next on her list.

[plantnerd]

I have encountered a Boston like this before. Most of the time they are very nice dogs, and this girl was just, well, wrong in the head. The dog was seriously insane, and a biter. They kept her for years, while guests and even the family were repeatedly attacked. She was finally euthanized when she bit a cable worker and they were threatened with a lawsuit. I don't really have any other advice other than to say this isn't your fault, some dogs are just not right and there is not a lot you can do to correct behavior like this. Would telling a schizo person that it's bad to be nuts help them? No, and maybe it's the same with this dog.

Why is it that small dogs are allowed to bite/nip time and time again? If my shepherd acted like this it would be a disaster and a menace...

[Jezzy]

Gosh I hear you plantnerd. If she were a bit dog we would be in such big trouble!

Thats the thing that makes it hard for my husband to take her back. She is generally a nice dog. A little shy but nice and then... here comes psycho dog.

She has bit our mail lady once too. I wonder if I can bribe her to pretend to press charges. My dh just doesn't see what a problem we have on our hands

[plantnerd]

Originally Posted by Jezzy

Gosh I hear you plantnerd. If she were a bit dog we would be in such big trouble!

Thats the thing that makes it hard for my husband to take her back. She is generally a nice dog. A little shy but nice and then... here comes psycho dog.

She has bit our mail lady once too. I wonder if I can bribe her to pretend to press charges. My dh just doesn't see what a problem we have on our hands

So sorry you don't have his support on this. Could you make the dog say, dissapear while he's not around? I know that's sneaky and bad too, but really, how would he feel if your baby was bit? Even little dogs can do a lot of damage to a child...

[Jezzy]

Hee hee, that is something I have thought about but it would never work..

[Arduinna]

Firstly, I'd look for a new training center because clearly your dogs issues are more than they are capable of dealing with, since they basically told you that. I totally sympathize though, your poor pug deserves a little peace also.

[Doodlebugsmom]

Ugh! You're not in the US. I was going to recommend you contact Victoria Stillwell, dog trainer and host of "It's Me or the Dog" on Animal Planet. She seems to do well working with even the most ill-behaved of dogs. I agree that you should talk to another trainer. I can't imagine that there isn't a trainer out there who could help you. If it comes down to the safety of you and your family, I realize that you absolutely need to do whatever you need to do.

[confustication]

She's a terrier. I say that lovingly and having shown terriers for several years. Some of them are just. plain. bitey. They are aggressive and live for the chase. I had one- we had to keep her separate from any other dogs as she was aggressive. We lived for years with baby gates around the house- we didn't have kids, the gates were there to keep the dog secured.

I think my first step in your case would be having her fixed. OBVIOUSLY this is NOT a dog you ever should consider breeding. That alone may help the behavior some.

Ultimately though, this may just be one of those dogs- and you can choose to rearrange things so the poor pug isn't subjected to the abuse and so she can never come in contact with visitors and keep her, or you can return her to the breeder.

Personally, from a BTDT perspective, I would not have a dog like that in any family where there are children or other animals. I would consider a home where she was an 'only' pet with experienced owners (and no children!) who are willing and able to protect her from biting someone else.